Why I am considering a 45acp!

This is a discussion on Why I am considering a 45acp! within the Defensive Carry Guns forums, part of the Defensive Carry Discussions category; Originally Posted by diamond
I, personally, would not want to go up against a black bear with a .45. They are a wild animal, not ...

I, personally, would not want to go up against a black bear with a .45. They are a wild animal, not a human. They have animal instincts and dna built in that drive them on and on even when the chips are down.

.44mag or bigger for a mad mama bear with kids.

As far as more people dying because of a .22cal, naturally. That's not because it's such a great killer, but because of the HUGE number of .22's out there and hunting and home accidents. People thinking it has no power, so they leave 'em lying around and kids pick them up and kill themselves or their friends. just my thoughts.

That's one side of it possibly. The other side is that it can bounce around inside a person like a pinball machine and tear up everything in the process. That's not pretty.

I bought a .45 because I love the 1911 platform, not because its a .45. With that being said, I still own and carry 9mm and do not feel underpowered with my 9mms. .45s or 9mm, they all make bad people go away at the end

Due to the frequency of human-bear encounters, the B.C. Fish and Wildlife Branch is advising hikers, hunters, fishermen and any persons that use the out of doors in a recreational or work related function to take extra precautions while in the field.

We advise the outdoorsman to wear little noisy bells on clothing so as to give advanced warning to any bears that might be close by so you don’t take them by surprise.

We also advise anyone using the out-f-doors to carry “Pepper Spray” with him is case of an encounter with a bear.

Outdoorsmen should also be on the watch for fresh bear activity, and be able to tell the difference between black bear feces and grizzly bear feces. Black bear feces is smaller and contains lots of berries and squirrel fur. Grizzly bear poop has bells in it and smells like pepper.

Due to the frequency of human-bear encounters, the B.C. Fish and Wildlife Branch is advising hikers, hunters, fishermen and any persons that use the out of doors in a recreational or work related function to take extra precautions while in the field.

We advise the outdoorsman to wear little noisy bells on clothing so as to give advanced warning to any bears that might be close by so you don’t take them by surprise.

We also advise anyone using the out-f-doors to carry “Pepper Spray” with him is case of an encounter with a bear.

Outdoorsmen should also be on the watch for fresh bear activity, and be able to tell the difference between black bear feces and grizzly bear feces. Black bear feces is smaller and contains lots of berries and squirrel fur. Grizzly bear poop has bells in it and smells like pepper.

^ LOL
I have a buddy that lives in alaska and he carries a glock 10mm for four legged critters. If for whatever reason he is going to a known bear area he takes his 10mm and a rifle.
The 10mm is a beast of a round, plus IMO I would rather have more rounds with a 10mm then only 6 in a 44mag or 500S&W revolver.

In bear country with a 45acp what would be the best choice for defense against large bears, FMJ or HP?

First, as already advised, don't use .45acp for defense against animals. However, if its all you have, it is better than nothing. If I absolutely had to use a .45acp against any animal I would prefer to use 230gr FMJ.

"I don't believe any caliber is a man-stopper, shot placement is the key.

So is the 45acp worth it? That is cost of new gun, ammo, holster and accessories. Whats your thoughts?"

While I agree with the first statement, I strongly advocate carrying the most powerful caliber you can be deadly proficient with. A .45 to the gut is less effective than a .380 to COM or the noggin. For me the .45 is truly a defensive load and if you can find a platform/form factor that gives you the confidence and accuracy you need to deliver it to point of aim, absolutely the .45 is worth it.

One thing to take into consideration IMO is; a 9mm in +p is nothing to sneeze at. The FPE and ballistics of the two are pretty darn close and the only advantage for the standard pressure .45 is the size of the hole. Some will say, well there ya go. My thoughts are along the lines of, I think it's splitting hairs, once the hole is large enough to cause the trauma and damage necessary to end the threat, the rest is just gravy, and not of much value beyond that. JMO YMMV.

"I don't believe any caliber is a man-stopper, shot placement is the key.

So is the 45acp worth it? That is cost of new gun, ammo, holster and accessories. Whats your thoughts?"

While I agree with the first statement, I strongly advocate carrying the most powerful caliber you can be deadly proficient with. A .45 to the gut is less effective than a .380 to COM or the noggin. For me the .45 is truly a defensive load and if you can find a platform/form factor that gives you the confidence and accuracy you need to deliver it to point of aim, absolutely the .45 is worth it.

One thing to take into consideration IMO is; a 9mm in +p is nothing to sneeze at. The FPE and ballistics of the two are pretty darn close and the only advantage for the standard pressure .45 is the size of the hole. Some will say, well there ya go. My thoughts are along the lines of, I think it's splitting hairs, once the hole is large enough to cause the trauma and damage necessary to end the threat, the rest is just gravy, and not of much value beyond that. JMO YMMV.

GBK

I ended a fight with 4 shots of 9mm black talons. It stopped him. That being said I moved up to .45 for 10 years went back to 9mm for a year and now carry 10mm or .357 with .380 backup depending upon the environment

Wow! I'm glad you made it through it okay. I'm not familiar with the Black Talons rounds, I think I remember um being armor piercing rounds or something like that, but not sure if they were +p's or not. I carry a Kimber 3" and am thinking about loading it with +p's, or the short barrel specific rounds for maximum stopping power. Until then I'm just running the FMJs and feel that the OD and FPS is enough to do what the .45 did for years before modern bullet designs.

10mm that's a ton of gun, I guess you mean business. I'd like to have a 10mm as I don't currently own one, but for me, it's a bit much for my concealed carry needs. Stay safe

Wow! I'm glad you made it through it okay. I'm not familiar with the Black Talons rounds, I think I remember um being armor piercing rounds or something like that, but not sure if they were +p's or not. I carry a Kimber 3" and am thinking about loading it with +p's, or the short barrel specific rounds for maximum stopping power. Until then I'm just running the FMJs and feel that the OD and FPS is enough to do what the .45 did for years before modern bullet designs.

10mm that's a ton of gun, I guess you mean business. I'd like to have a 10mm as I don't currently own one, but for me, it's a bit much for my concealed carry needs. Stay safe

GBK

No they are just JHP rounds winchester put out in the early 90's, I believe they are still selling them as ranger SXT.

1) It's a classic round in a classic gun
2) I shoot it really well and it carrys well despite the weight.
3) I shoot my 1911 better than my other guns in .40sw and 9mm so I trust it more. That's not to say I can't put my G23 on target. I sure can.

For bear I'd start at 10mm and go up from there. I'd actually go for a .454 or bigger provided I can handle it (never fired one).